Kris Bryant isn’t particularly close to free agency, but that didn’t stop the Chicago Cubs from trying to lock him down long-term.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan via Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation, Bryant was offered a long-term extension “well north of $200 million”, but he and agent Scott Boras declined, preferring to go through the arbitration process.
It’s an interesting decision for the Cubs, if true. Bryant just finished his first arbitation year and is under team control through 2021, so he can pretty safely play things out. The Cubs were clearly aiming to buy out his arbitration years and lock him down well into his 30s. Bryant is taking a risk by declining, but a calculated one, as he stands to earn a lot more if he stays healthy and keeps producing for another three seasons. The health was a bit of a scare at times in 2018, but he looks poised for a rebound year in 2019.
